The Justice Reference Architecture

1. The Justice Reference Architecture Tom Clarke, NCSC IAB Teleconference/Webinar August 14, 2008

2. How the JRA Got Started • Global is a DOJ FACA whose mission is to facilitate state and local sharing of justice information. • Global achieved some success in reducing interoperability problems by standardizing the semantics of content with the Global Justice XML Data Model or GJXDM and, later, the National Information Exchange Model or NIEM. • Global decided to work on other interoperability issues.

3. How the JRA Got Started • A policy paper was approved in 2004 that identified Service-oriented Architecture or SOA as the preferred design approach to sharing information. • The primary benefits are business flexibility and scalability through reuse. • The JRA project was started to standardize a justice SOA.

4. JRA Uses • Use Case #1: Local Best Practices A set of best practices that represent an 80% solution for local/regional data sharing. • Use Case #2: National/regional Standards A set of reference services that standardize key justice services nationally.

5. Where is the JRA Today? • An overall architecture exists (Version 1.6). • Two “profiles” for messaging exist (web services and ebXML messaging). • Two guidelines exist for identifying and creating services. • Two templates exist for creating MOU’s and SLA’s. • Several other supporting documents exist.

6. Where is the JRA Going Next? 2008 to early 2009 • Creating reference services for fusion centers. • Creating reference services for biometric & fingerprint data. 2009 to 2010 • Creating reference services for courts, probation and corrections.

7. Connections to Other Projects • Incorporates GJXDM and NIEM IEPD’s as content for JRA services. • Incorporates LEXS as structure for content. • Incorporates GFIPM as part of security model. • Will support Global technical privacy metadata as it is developed.

8. Connections to Other Projects • Formal mapping to DHS SOA Technical Framework underway. • Formal mapping to ISE Enterprise Architecture Framework underway. • Formal mapping to SAR Segment Architecture underway. • Formal mapping to DOJ Segment Architecture assessed.

9. Projects Using the JRA • Maine CJIS • Utah CJIS • Illinois State Police (CLEAR) • NYC Corrections • Court electronic filing (OASIS Legal XML) • SAR State/Local Services (ISE)

10. Business Benefits • Local CJIS projects report that using the JRA as a starting point saves at least 80% of their design time while providing best practices. • National reference services promise to reduce interoperability problems significantly. • Commercial vendors report that the JRA does incorporate SOA best practices.

11. The Big Picture • The JRA still does not map easily to the FEA because the SRM is mostly at a higher level. • The benefits of a total architecture that includes all of the best practices in various layers required to share information will grow stronger over time. • The ability to quickly construct new exchanges for unanticipated needs will grow over time.

12. Contact Information Dr. Tom Clarke Vice President, Research & Technology National Center for State Courts 300 Newport Avenue Williamsburg, Virginia 23185 757-259-1870 (office) 757-268-1025 (cell) tclarke@ncsc.org